


Some kind of title about Shane

by Smizmar1129



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Conflict, Depression, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Friendship, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Relationship(s), Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:47:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smizmar1129/pseuds/Smizmar1129
Summary: This is my first time ever posting here, so if I suck, Uhh whatever I guess.Reagan came to Stardew valley about a year ago.  Finding the deed left in her name was a life line to her.  She was not made for life in the city and fell into the farm quite well.  She wasn't the most social person but she had found a few good friends along the way.  She was sarcastic and didn't think very highly of herself, she mostly took to the outcasts.  Shane was one that she just couldn't keep away from.Things start in her 2nd spring after already having an established relationship with a few people in town.  Her friendly relationship with Shane had started to bubble over; neither being able to keep things as they were anymore, while feelings continue to develop.
Relationships: Jas & Shane (Stardew Valley), Sam/Player (Stardew Valley), Sam/Sebastian (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane & Player (Stardew Valley), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Character(s), Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Player (Stardew Valley)
Kudos: 7





	1. Friday

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I did this as a personal project and don't exactly know where its going. There's a lot of swearing and its pretty casual. I guess I put myself too much into it. I just couldn't stop writing and figured I'd post the first few chapters to get feed back. I'm not a writer so don't expect anything phenomenal. But I love Stardew valley and I love my boys so I think the passion shows in what I've done. I'll fix the tags and stuff eventually, I don't know what I'm doing. If it sucks, let me know. Good luck.  
> Also I'm not super satisfied with the beginning but as the chapters go on I got way more inspired. I think it definitely gets better as it goes on.

Fuck off Pam!" She yelled with a smile, as she rode by on her pitch black steed with a fiery red mane passed the bus station. The middle-aged woman with much to be desired Farrah Faucet hair chuckled at the brash yet friendly encounter. Smoking her cigarette, waiting for someone to actually want to leave the valley on the bus; seeing Rea fly by didn't give her much hope. Reagan, with a slight grin on her face, knew she hadn't decided entirely what to do with the rest of her day and figured she may be back. She'd spent some (Ha a lot) nights pretending to be able to keep up with Pam at the Stardrop Saloon; the only bar in town. Pam was the established drunk of the town, being written off as having no hope for her. Rea liked to drink herself so she would often stay with Pam, get them to a good level and try to coax her to take a walk with her to get her back home to the trailer she shared with her daughter, Penny. To much avail most nights but Penny could see the effort and appreciated it. She had also tried her hand at Shane; another big drinker of Stardew Valley. That was a whole other story  
  
Reagan flew into town, over the dirt path to the cobblestone center. She wasn't a big social-lite, but she had made a few friends over the year she had been there. Occasionally passing out gifts she accumulated on her farm or had found in the mines to build a rapport with the towns-folk. All she needed was seeds, she was a good farmer and a hard worker, but organized? Ha, she wished. She had sped there to snag some cauliflower and kale seeds. It was the middle of the season and she was hoping to squeeze in another harvest last minute. She knows, she's the worst. A wildly huge plot of land that fell into her lap from her late grandfather, who everyone in town had absolutely adored for good reason; and she couldn't even count seeds. She dashed through the shop getting what she needed and went up to Pierre; the pompous shop owner. She wasn't a big fan of him nor he of her and they both silently knew it. She placed what she had on the counter and started to count her gold, knowing the cost already to avoid any small talk. His daughter busted in from the back. Abigail; deep purple hair with such perfect roots and no salon in town always astounded her. Reagan had deep red hair for as long as she can remember when living in the city, so she knew the upkeep. Now she sported box dye dark red hair, never quite the same. She hated her (what she called it) dark dishwater blonde hair so she had to do something to it about it. Abigail bounded over to her "Hey Rea! So what have you found in the mines lately? Slimes? Shadow men?" she said so excitedly, Pierre scowling over from her to Rea. Rea chuckled, "Slimes are everywhere, so annoying, I've gotten used to them though. I'm mostly looking for ore, making my way down, how's it going top side Abs?" Ignoring Pierre's looks as he rang her up, Abigail rolled her eyes, "Mostly boring, doing school stuff, playing games when I can. You're coming up to the bar tonight, right?" Reagan handed over her gold without a glance "Of course, where else would I be?" _Nevermind the desert I guess._ Abigail smiled "Perfect, I can only take so much of Sam making excuses why he loses every time to Sebastian at pool. Let's get a drink and play some co-op Prairie King!" Rea returned the smile "I'm down, see you guys tonight then" She grabbed her stuff and rushed out.   
  
Bounding out the door to get home and get her seeds down as fast as she could she barreled into what seemed to have been a moving brick wall. Her, not quite falling but on a knee looked up to see someone wide eyed and face as red as her box dyed hair. Shane, almost in a daze as to what just happened didn't jump to help her recover her fallen seed packs. As she looked up she smirked "I'm so sorry, I'm fucking brain dead, need to look where I'm going." He shook his head, coming back to reality and quickly got down to help her grab everything. "No, shut up, I'm an idiot and ran into you." He handed her the last pack on the ground and grazed her fingers, electricity shot through him as he accidently touched her. "Okay, we're both dumb" She smiled up at him. "Well thanks, I've got to get all this shit done but I'll see you at the bar tonight right?" He still hadn't completely gathered himself, he shakenly said "Y-yeah u-uhm yeah of course. Where else would I be?" They got up after gathering everything, still having yet to let go of the seed pack, still touching "Great," she said looking down at her dirt covered boots, then to her waiting horse. "G-Great, then I'll u-um see you then" he watched her looking up at him through her hair that had fallen into her face. He realized he was still just staring at her, then looked down to their hands and let go of the pack. Moving his hand towards her wanting to move the hair out of her face to clearly see the brown eyes that were hiding, immediately instead throwing his hand behind his head, scratching at his undercut "Great." _Yeah, stare at her longer, that won't make you look like a creep at all, moron._  
  
  
Rea made it home in what seemed like seconds instead of 15 minutes. _Yoba how are you this dumb? You obviously startled him, of course he's going to talk like that, calm down._ She got into her mode, planted her seeds she needed to get in, checked on her animals again needlessly just to make sure they were okay. She left the barn and made it back up the wooden stairs to her cabin. She turned around to look back at her farm. She was in a surprisingly good mood. She saw the rows and rows of sprouts and freshly planted seeds, she saw her chickens, ducks, and cows all making their way back to their homes for the night. The sounds of content 'moos' and 'clucks' calmed her. She looked over at the pond she installed, apparently one wasn't enough, but this one she stocked full of Spook fish. They weren't the most proprietary fish to keep but they were her favorite and she was ecstatic just to have caught one her first winter there, couldn't let it go. Hearing the water flowing, the animals, trees rustling, she took a deep breath. Going against the voice in her head that usually kept her down, telling herself it's a new year and she was doing well. She was worth something. It was hard to convince herself of that all the time, but it didn't stop her from trying. She had given up enough and taking the plunge to move to Stardew Valley gave her the push she needed to make her like herself just a little bit more. That was enough for now.


	2. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reagan speaks inwardly about her relationship with Shane. She makes a trip up to the mountain for some errands and to see her best friend Sebastian. Shane sees an unfortunate exchange that he takes the wrong way.

Grudgingly opening her eyes, Reagan stared at the ceiling. She was not a morning person but the life she had thrown herself into had said to get over it. She had animals to care for and a mess of other things to check on. She flipped through her phone to stall getting up and to try to get her eyes adjusted to being awake. She beamed--- a text from Shane. - _Thanks for walking to the ranch with me, sorry I'm an idiot.-_ She scoffed at herself for getting excited over nothing. _Dumbass, he's not into you, you just did him favor. Get over yourself._ She had been pining over him for a few months, but she was very conflicted. She didn’t think she wanted the responsibility of a relationship and didn’t think anyone could have the capacity to endure her. So she just did her best to pack away her feelings. She'd spend nights at the bar with him; sometimes he'd complain about work, other days they just sat in the silence of each other's company. When he would occasionally drop off her orders from Marnie to the farm, she'd insist he stick around; he couldn't turn down her offers for lunch. When they had first met he was incredibly cold and rude; essentially telling her to get fucked and to leave him alone. But she found him oddly intriguing and didn't take much offence. She found herself not being able to stay away for long; and he couldn't comprehend how another human could not only tolerate him but persistently seek him out. They were starting to become closer as friends, so she told herself that was enough. 

The night before, most of the town had followed the ritual of going to the saloon. She had granted Abigail a few rounds of Prairie King and a game of pool with Sebastian and Sam. She made her way to the bar and found Shane, one too many rounds in so he was in a slightly more talkative mood. He stole her attention away from the game room for the rest of the evening. When he'd finally agreed to close out she had to make sure he'd actually make it all the way back to the ranch, so he reluctantly allowed her to walk him home. She was glad to have some time with Shane away from all the noise of the weekend crowd.

Rolling her eyes at herself, she dragged her reluctant body out of bed to go about her daily routine. Ethan, the pup she'd had for months now, trailed right behind her. Ever since Marnie had found him as a stray and asked if she'd like the company of a pet, he'd been her shadow. She threw on some leggings and a black t-shirt, wrapped her wildly long unbrushed hair into a messy bun and headed out. She instantly felt better once the fresh air hit her. The outdoors always had this effect on her, it’s what told her she would be able to do all this in the first place. She couldn’t stand her life in the suburbs of the city. Absolutely nauseating to her. While living in the city, she felt as if she was going nowhere but moving at light speed; life flashing before her eyes but no motivation or direction to go. Her getting the deed to the farm was literally a life line cast into the abyss she felt her life was in. This new life gave her small and big tasks to keep her attention and all the trees and air she could ever want. 

She'd gone about her day to day, all the seeds had already been done so she was mostly caring for her animals and trying to organize the mess of chests she had all over the place. She decided it was about time to go all in on her wine making from just a few kegs to working toward a shed's worth. So she gathered some materials, splitting the load between herself and her horse, Natsu, then they made their way up towards the mountain. It was the last day of Salmonberry season so she took her time up the path, grabbing some as they went. She figured she could bring some to Linus when she got to the hill behind Robin's Carpenter shop and maybe make some jam with the rest. She took in the rather chilly day of spring, dreading the impending heat of summer around the corner. 

She'd made it through the clearing and didn't quite see Linus yet so she figured going to Robins first made sense, get all this weight off of them. She always looked at the hand crafted house in amazement, _How could one person do all this?_. She took the bags off Natsu and left him to graze as she went in to inquire with Robin. "Hey! How was the hike up here? The mountain is beautiful this time of year, right?" Reagan smiled "The mountain is beautiful all year Robin, your location is idyllic." Robin had started talking about building the house in the perfect spot for the millionth time until Rea butt in "You know I was thinking of putting in a new shed, what do you think? Do you have some time on your hands?" Robin beamed "Of course! Where were you thinking of putting it? Do you know what you're going to be using it for? That would dictate the size; but we could always update that later. Maybe-" "Yeah um actually I wanted to expand my wine production, just something modest for now and we'll figure the rest out later. Don't worry, materials are all out front. What do you think? 3 days-ish?" Rea already knew all the questions and answers, Robin just got so excited about new projects she just let it ride. "You're just a doll, I'll see you tomorrow then.... so are you going to see Sebby?" Rea also knew where this was going. Sebastian was one of her best friends, she didnt take to everyone in the valley but she connected with him. Just not in the way his mother had hoped. Sure, he was attractive but he was a friend and she knew very well where he stood. "Of course, heading down there now, thanks Robin." she walked toward the basement before there could be any more questions. 

"Hey Seb," making her way to the love seat by the computer he had been working on, plopping herself down. "what's up? If you're working I can always come back later." He peered around the screen "Hey Rea, nah I'm just finishing this line of code, I have a bit to chill." She waited silently as he continued his work, his room was so dark; she felt comfortable down there. They both shared the same aesthetic, everything in black please. Of course both nerds, he had his anime posters above his shelf of mangas, and always had his Solorian Chronicles deck out on the coffee table. He rolled his chair around the desk to be in front of her, throwing his feet up, crossing them next to her. "So what do you have goin on today? Heard you talking to my mom." "Yeah I just asked her if she'd be up to building a new shed for me, finally doing the wine thing I mentioned." He brushed his long onyx black hair uselessly out of his eyes only to have it fall right back "Hell yeah, can't wait to get into that." The pair loved a good dry red, they often shared a bottle or 2 over at the farm, sitting on the porch taking in the night air. "Yeah I recently found this weird blue seed thats supposed to be pretty killer, gimme a month or 2 and we'll fuck it up." He began fidgeting his foot, shaking the couch next to her. "So are you doing anything later? My work should be finished in a few hours if you wanted to hangout." "Yeah for sure, I'm gonna head to the mines for a bit and I'll pick you up with Natsu on my way back, cool?" He lifted his feet and made his way to his nightstand drawer, fishing out a cigarette to have before getting back to work. He motioned towards the pack. She quit after leaving the city for the most part, only really smoked on her nights with Sebastian. "Nah, not before the mines, later tonight I'll probably need one." she half assed chuckled, she loved the excitement of the mines but sometimes either after the defeat of not meeting her goals or having a too close encounter, she welcomed the menthol into her lungs to bring her back down. "Cool. Well I'll walk out with you and we'll meet up later." They made their way up from the basement to get back outside. Robin of course spotted them with a ridiculous grin spread across her face. They waved and continued. Natsu followed her up the path to find Linus fishing at the lake.

"Hey Linus, how's the lake treating you?" He turned back to give her an elated smile. He wasn't used to people being as friendly to him as Rea was, he always loved each of their interactions. Linus was a gentle man, just living his life outdoors. Most people in town knew him as the "wild man" and took to him with great caution from their lack of understanding. Linus had his reasons for his lifestyle and he lived in peace with nature. Reagan respected that. "Very well my young friend, just got my second catch of the day. Rain should be coming soon so I wanted to be sure to have enough for a few days." Rea smiled down at him, giving Natsu a quick pet as he bobbed his head towards her. She went into her bag to pull out the Salmonberries, she gave Natsu one to hold him over as he waited for her and handed the small bag towards Linus. Just enough as a gift, but not too much to make him feel as though it was a hand out. He took the bag with great thanks. "You're too kind to me Rea. I see you're going to the mines today." motioning towards her pickaxe. "Yup, hoping to make some more progress, well see how it goes." she shrugged and smiled. "Well be sure to keep an eye, take care of yourself Rea." She put her 2 fingers to her head to give him the affirmative. Her and Natsu made the rest of the way towards the mines. 

She was late but she made it out in one piece. She got the ore she needed and made it a few levels deeper, even finding a frozen tear for her friend. He insisted on buying the wine for the night but she could at least give him one of his favorite gems. Sebastian, not surprised but still a little worried at her delay, waited right at the entrance for her. He was quite tall and thin, not buff by any means but had some muscle to him. He wasn't a seasoned fighter but he'd venture into the mines here and there, using his speed for dodging rather than a blade. She exited the mountain side, out of breath and he rushed to her side. She pulled herself up straight and put up a hand, catching her breath. They didn't need words, he knew she was okay. As she made her way to Natsu, attaching her satchel to his side, she pulled out a glowing bright blue tear, cold to the touch. She handed it to him with a smile "How did you know these are my favorite?" breaking his always stoic appearance with a giddy smile. "Oh, well it couldn't be because I saw your reaction when I gave you one on your birthday last year, no it couldn't be. Just a lucky guess." She winked, glad to see her friend happy. She hopped on her steed and extended her hand to help him up behind her, they then made their way towards town.

Her eyes had teared from the cold wind blowing so quickly against her face as they flew towards the saloon. She thought she looked ridiculous, all pink and teary eyed so she sent Sebastian in on his own to grab the bottle. His friends had really only gone to the bar on Fridays, he knew there were no people of interest for him to stop and talk to, so he made his way straight to the bar. Shane, off in the corner, was nursing the last of his beer. Marnie had asked him to help with some large orders at the ranch the next morning, so he knew he needed to close out soon and head back. He looked up and saw Sebastian, his brow furrowed in confusion and annoyance. _It's Saturday, why is Prince of Darkness here?_ He shook his head and decided he didn't give a shit. Which changed quickly when he heard him order 2 bottles of Reagan's favorite wine to-go. He motioned towards Emily for his tab, deciding not to think too hard on why he was rushing to leave. Either to see his fears of Sebastian heading towards the farm or to just get the fuck out of there. Sebastian had beat him to the punch and already had floated out the door. He tossed some gold on the bar top and made his way out. Only to have his stomach drop as he heard clicks of hooves tip tapping as they settled in on top of the pitch black horse. Sebastian, taking hold of Rea's waist as she made a click towards Natsu, letting him know to get moving. Shane looked down in defeat "Fuck me." _Why do you even fucking care, what's she to you? Why should she even look in your direction, she was right where she belonged._ He watched them gallop away, he turned towards the ranch and scoffed; then turning on his heel right back into the saloon


	3. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reagan decides to head to Marnies this morning, she hurts herself because she oblivious (wow I know, so original for a Shane fanfic) Shane confronts her about the previous night. They meet at the dock for a unexpected talk (yeah this heart event should have happened a while ago but oh well) Shane is Shane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really started writing all this because I had an idea for a one shot story and then got excited. Now that I've developed a story, the original chapter everything stemmed from wouldn't be for a few more chapters. I really enjoy that one so if this isn't as bad as I think it is, lemme know.

Linus was right; rain came the next morning. Reagan was out in the barn, checking to make sure everyone had enough to eat since there wouldn't be any grazing today. Being with the animals was one of her favorite parts of the day. Deciding she could handle another fuzzy being to care for, she finished up there to make her way to Marnie's ranch to ask her when one of the baby goats would be ready to be sold. 

She trekked through her farm to the clearing, with Marnie's ranch left around the corner. She was lost in her own thoughts. _Maybe Shane is home, wonder how rough that hangover was yesterday. What should I name my new goat? Maybe Gideon, but what if its a girl? I'll ask Shane, maybe he'll want to hangout lat--_ "Fuck me." She of course slipped in a patch of mud, cutting her hand on the fence post to try and break her fall. "Why can't I ever pay attention?" She uselessly asked herself as she threw her head back in annoyance. She opened the door to the ranch, careful to stay only on the door mat; she was oblivious and sarcastic but she wasn't rude. Marnie came through to the lobby, hearing the sound of the bell "Hi, welcome to the ran-- Oh! Rea, what happened dear?" "Nothing, nothing. I just slipped on my way here, no big deal. I just came up to ask you--" "Shane! Go get the first aid kit!" Rea froze, she felt uncomfortable being fussed over. "No, really, p- please I'm really fine. I'm just here about the baby g--" "I'm getting you a towel, you just hold tight and Shane will take care of that for you" "No, wai--" Aaaaand there she goes. _Goddammit._ She thought about leaving, but they were already running around for her, so she felt stuck. Shane started talking before he whipped around the corner "Marnie what happened? Was it Jas?" He froze at the sight of seeing Rea, soaking wet, mud down her side, blood dripping from her hand. "What the hell is the matter with you?" He instinctively walked over to her. No matter how hard he tried not to, he really did care for her. "Well fuck you too." He rolled his eyes, taking up her hand to see how bad it was. Butterflies ran rampant in her stomach as he held her hand so tenderly, inspecting the damage. "Got some towels, now Reagan you--" She stopped in her tracks as she took in at the exchange between Shane and Rea. "I'll set these in the kitchen, leave your boots there and go and get patched up. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me" This was not how Rea had planned her day to go.

_Why can't she ever just be careful?_ Shane guided her to a chair in front of the first aid kit. As he went to the sink to wet a cloth, she looked around the small kitchen. It was bigger than hers, she only played around with cooking so she never bothered to upgrade much. Glazing over all the vintage furniture, she looked up and saw a framed picture; Shane and Jas, maybe a just a couple years ago judging by how much the kid had grown. Shane standing next to his Goddaughter at the flower dance. The circles under his eyes were somehow even deeper back then. He turned back to the kitchen table, making his way towards the kit, noticing her looking at the picture before she quickly shot her eyes down. "Dreading that dance coming up." She looked back up, him only concentrating at the task at hand, avoiding her eye contact. "Yeah I'm probably going to skip it again this year, not really my thing." He let out a huffed laugh that was very telling she wouldn't like what was coming next. "Not planning on dancing with your new boyfriend?" _New boyfriend? What the hell did that mean? That was too harsh, he couldn't be alluding towards himself. Then who?_ "Uhh not sure what you mean?" Still avoiding her gaze, finishing cleaning the wound before he had grabbed the gauze. "You guys don't really hide it well." This time it was her rolling her eyes. "Ah yes, my exotic new boyfriend I've been parading all over town. You mean you didn't notice us doing the salsa dressed in our matching sequined outfits at the town square before?" "Oh come on, would you shut up? It's obvious that you and Sebastian are a thing, no use in hiding it in this small town." _Sebastian?!_ "You're fucking with me right?" she said with a chuckle, it had to be a joke. He dropped her hand and finally looked up to meet her eyes. He regretted that and went back to wrapping her hand, not rough but much less gentle than before; he wasn't hiding his frustration well. She could see he wasn't joking and that he was upset. _Is he jealous? Jealous of something that doesn't even exist?_ "Shane, come on, he's like a brother to me if anything. Yeah, we hangout but that's where it ends. I promise." She ducked her head trying to get him to look her in the eye, see her sincerity. "You don't need to promise me anything, who am I to you?" He had just about finished wrapping up her hand. "But him buying you wine before you ride off into the night together says otherwise." _He saw that? How? Of course it would be something so easily misconstrued, and of course it had to be Shane seeing it. Fuck._ With her hand done being mended he got up and made a B-line for his room. "Shane, no! It's not like that, really! Slamming the door behind him before she could even make it out of the chair. She sighed in defeat. Marnie hearing the slam quietly walked to the kitchen doorway. "Don't let him get to you sweetie, he's just upset." Rea continued to stare downwards, tracing her fingers across the new bandage on her hand. Marnie cocked her head, seeing the anguish take over the poor girl's face; moving to place a comforting hand and her shoulder. "He'll come around." Reagan had to get out, she couldn't let herself cry. Very stiffly she said "Thanks Marn, I'll come by early tomorrow morning to talk about the goats." Getting up and rushing to the door, Marnie couldn't get out any words to stop her. 

_Fuck fuck fuck!_ Her hands raked through her sopping wet hair as she walked towards home. _I thought he was trusting me, why couldn't he just stop and listen? He was so upset, but why would he be? Does he actually have feelings for me? No, he couldn't. He just thinks I lied to him. Of course I have to go fuck it all up._ She went straight to the barn. Ethan didn't like being alone in the rain, so she left him in there with the company of the cows and some warm hay to nap on. He met her at the door and somehow already felt her energy. They walked towards a bail of hay to sit at, he hopped in her lap so they could comfort each other. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2-_ She counted during her deep breaths -in and out- to try and keep them even and giving her something to concentrate on besides what brought her to feeling that way. 

She had no idea how long she had sat in there for, she only noticed the changing sound of the rain; it had slowed to barely a drizzle. Cringing at the thought of her much too quiet cabin, she decided her and Ethan could use a walk. They left the cows to rest for the night and headed back in the direction of the ranch. Taking a right instead this time, going down a path that led to a lake. Ethan was always right next her, making note of every new smell he could find. Periodically he'd look up towards her to make eye contact; she loved it, like they were checking in on each other. As she approached the lake, she looked down towards the dock. She couldn't help but notice a figure sitting at the end. _Oh shit, is that Shane? He won't want to see me._ Before she could turn away from the dock, Ethan had made his way towards him. _Fuck E, seriously?_ She followed him in a half jog "E come on, lets keep going. I'm sorry, we won't bug you." Shane put a hand over Ethan's head and let him lick his face, that dog just couldn't get enough of him. Without looking back, he put out his hand, holding a can towards her. "Cold one?" She shook her head in disbelief. _No "fuck off Rea'?_ Without a word, she reached out and grabbed the beer from him. He patted the wood next to him as Ethan turned around to continue his investigation of the flowers nearby. She hesitantly sat down. "Shane... I" "Ever feel like no matter what you do, you're going to fail? Like you're stuck in some abyss with no light at the end?" She was so taken back, she hadn't expected him to even talk to her, let alone get this deep; and yes, she knew exactly how that felt. "That's why I came here." He smirked as turned towards her, still looking out at the lake. "You climbed out of that hole. I-- I don't think I can." She didn't want him to see the heartache in her eyes so she averted her gaze to the water, watching the small ripples from the mist still coming down. She cracked her beer finally and nearly slammed the whole damn thing. He breathed out his nose "Woman after my own heart." He regretted saying that, even after the 6-pack he'd downed before her arrival. He handed her another. "Shane," Hearing his name on her lips always made his heart leap. "I know it sucks, I'm not going to sit here and preach to you, but.... I know you can do it." She leaned down, both hands curling around the edge of the dock, moving one slightly closer to his. "I really wish you'd trust me...I have no intentions with anyone else." His hands clutched at the wood. _With anyone else? What does that mean? -- stop looking into every word, she'd never see you that way. _He felt her eyes on him. He had no idea what to say and couldn't bring himself to meet them. "You mean s- so much to me, I can't stand the thought of losing your trust. --You have to know Shane.." _Know what? The woman of my dreams is sitting next to me, telling me she has feelings towards me? I just can't. It can't be real._ He finally couldn't ignore her stare and turned to her direction. Her face was dewy from the mist, the reflections of the moon on the water flickering in her eyes, he hadn't realized just how close she was to him until now. ... _She's unbelievable._ He was bewitched, something was guiding him towards her but it wasn't conscious thought. Before he could bring himself back down to earth, their lips had already met. Her warmth conflicted with the chill of the rain, so soft. He moved his hand to interlace with her fingers, bringing the other to cup her cheek. It was electric, he wasn't worthy of this feeling. She let out a smooth sigh and brought her loose hand to caress the back of his head, resting on the nape of his neck. The euphoria that had drifted through him brought him to such a high only to crash down and make him realize what was really happening. His eyes clenched hard and he pulled away from her. At the same time, her eyes shot open, lips feeling the cold again from where his had left. "My livers begging me to stop." He was already up and moving to collect the cans. "I'll see ya." She sat there in awe of what had just transpired. She finally had begun to tell him how she felt, he had kissed her after all this time, after their fight earlier; and he left. _I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. But he kissed me! I didn't tak-- He doesn't want you, Rea. You pushed him and scared him off. So goddamn stupid._ She was frozen in her place, trying to pinpoint where she fucked up. Ethan made his way back to her, licking her face. "Th-Thanks bud, let's head home."


	4. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reagan and Shane separately have rough mornings. Each blaming themselves for the way the previous night had ended.

Reagan's morning went by in a haze. She had fed Ethan, but forgetting about herself. She knew Marnie was expecting her about the goat, so she forced herself to leave the house only after checking in on the animals. She wanted to get it over with early, before Shane would be up to see her there and to get back home as soon as possible. Still in her joggers and baggy black t shirt, not bothering with her hair, she made her way to the ranch with Ethan. She couldn't bear the thought of him not at her side. They were so close and how she was feeling, he was the only thing that kept her moving forward. She barely even realized they had made it there before looking down at the post she had cut herself on just yesterday, lifting her hand and touching the wrapping. She saw Ethan looking up at her from the abrupt stop, she nodded to him and made for the door. They stood on the doormat waiting for Marnie to come in. She was normally closed Mondays but she hoped she could at least have the conversation meant for yesterday. Instead of Marnie, she heard quick little footsteps getting louder. Jas rounded the corner, the smile fell from her face "Aunt Marnieeeee" running back where she came from. _Great, now the sight of me terrifies kids too._ "What is it Jas? Oh, Reagan, you came!" She went in for a hug _uhh didn't realize we were on this level_ "Yeah, I-I was hoping you'd still take me up on that conversation about the goats. I-Is that okay? I know you're not normally her--" "Oh stop, of course dear. Come right this way." As Reagan took a step forward, Ethan made his way out from behind her. "Puppy!" _Shit_ "I'm sorry Marnie, I can put him outside or take him back if--" Jas skipped and slid to her knees to meet him _Oh kid that's not how you meet a dog._ Luckily Ethan was friendly and loved attention, he put his paws up on her shoulders and began to lick her face. "I promise he's the sweetest thing, I just couldn't--" Looking up at Marnie, hoping he didn't make her nervous with Jas. "I'm sure he is dear, they'll keep each other occupied while we talk in the barn. Make sure to have your school bag ready Jas." "What's his name?" Jas asked, with her big blue eyes staring up at Rea. "His name is Ethan, I call him E a lot. He gives the best cuddles." Jas beamed up at her "Come on E, lets go" Ethan looked to Reagan for approval and she gave him a nod towards the young girls room. 

"I'm sorry if Shane's tone upset you yesterday. He can get that way so quickly....." her eyes moving down and back up to her "He is quite fond of you." Normally hearing that would send her through the roof, but not today. "It's not from when I was over yesterday, but I'm not t-too sure of that Marnie" _Dumbass, why. Why would you say that? It's like you enjoy being tortured with questions and assumptions. Good job._ She quickly turned the conversation to the goats. "So when do you think one of these guys will be able to leave mom?" Rea knelt down to pet a black baby goat that had grey spots, she nuzzled into her hand and she already knew who she had her eye on. "Give them about another week to be sure and they can be on their way. Did you have one in mind?" Seeing her already becoming attached. Rea smiled for the first time that day. "Yeah, I think I do." Marnie smiled down at her. "Perfect, well if you'd like to pay for her now, then say Sunday she can be sent off. How's that sound?" "Great. Thanks Marn" They left the barn, getting back into the house; finding Ethan and Jas snuggling up on the couch. 

"Miss Rea!" Jas and her haven't really spoken much, she had seen her around the ranch and sometimes she'd accompany Sam when he'd take her and his little brother Vincent to the beach. She was never any good with kids and had no way to relate to her, but now there was Ethan. "Miss Rea, are you going to bring Ethan to the Flower dance?" She looked towards Marnie for help, receiving none. "Um I don't think so Jas, I wouldn't want him to mess up anyone's outfit, we'll probably stay home for that." Jas looked down, pursing her lips in disappointment. "Well-- even if the puppy can't come, you just have to!" _Fuck. I don't have this in me today._ "Oh Jas um I don't know about that; e-everyone has their partners and I'm not much of a dancer." "You can dance with my uncle Shane! Emily likes dancing by herself anyways." _She really doesn't give up, does she?_ "Well I don't know if he'd really w--" Marnie chuckled at how uncomfortable Rea was getting at the persistence of the child, finally stepping in. "Well maybe Miss Rea will stop by for a little while to dance with you before everything gets started." Getting down on one knee to put her arm around Jas, now both of them looking up at her. _Goddammit Marnie._ "Uhh well maybe if I can get all my work done in time, I'll come and see you for a minute." "Yay!" Jas went to Ethan to give him a hug around the neck. "Bye puppy!" 

She left the ranch bewildered. _Where the hell did all that come from? I hope she doesn't tell Shane, he'd think I put her up to it and never want to look in my direction again. We're already back to square one, if that. He doesn't want to see me. Fuck I'm an idiot, why couldn't I get out of that?_ Racking her fingers through her hair in frustration, this was all too much. As they walked home, she felt as if she were in a fog, so many things were happening that she never saw coming, everything was out of her control. Making their way inside the cabin, going straight to her bed. Feeling exhausted from the past 2 days. Ethan climbed under the covers with her and they took a nap. As they lay there before drifting to sleep, she started in on herself in a spiral of negativity. _You're a farmer, taking a nap at 7am in Spring. There's so many things that I should be doing right now. Ughh_ She thought of the only 2 dresses she owned; a sleeveless black ribbed dress, Quite form fitting, and a mock neck long sleeve obviously in black. _Wow, you'll be the belle of the ball for sure._ She could only think of sticking out like a sore thumb, the contrast of her black attire around all the pastel colors and a style that wouldn't do her pudge any favors. She curled up around E and clenched her eyes shut, she just needed sleep, an escape from reality. Just for a little while. 

Shane wouldn't be having any better of a day. After the encounter from the previous night, when he'd gone home he went to his closet and pulled out another 6-pack. Not caring about the temperature, he anxiously cracked open a can only to finish it in seconds. Feeling the relief of the bitter carbonation rushing down his throat. _What just fucking happened... she couldn't have wanted that...why did I d-- ...but that sigh._ "Fuck." He grabbed another can, downing it just as quickly. Her words echoed in his mind _"I have no intentions with anyone else.....you have to know Shane."_ He growled in frustration, walking back and forth in his room. He's garbage, just a fucking useless drunk; he's told himself that so many times he only knew it to be fact. She was amazing, she was successful and beautiful; there's no way in hell someone like that can look at him with anything more than pity. He eventually moved to his bed, finishing off the rest of the pack. Still though, he found himself wanting more, his thirst was insatiable. But already being fairly tanked, he allowed the groggy feeling to put him to sleep. 

He awoke with a pounding headache to a screeching alarm for the 3rd time. Hearing Jas in the kitchen with Marnie, getting her ready for school, he knew he had to get up and get his shit together; he was already late. He grabbed at the piles of clothes on the floor until he found his blue work uniform. Sliding into his hoodie, he looked up at himself in the mirror. _She could never_. Coming up on 30 next year, he could already see the age set in around his eyes. Most of that was due to the alcohol but he never saw himself without it. His face slightly puffy from his nightly routine, always hiding his jaw line. And of course his belly protruded to make his work shirt slightly strain at the middle; He never used to mind being a little soft but after the last few years being so hard on him, he hated himself more every day. He pushed his deep mulberry hair back with a sigh, he wasn't worth the effort to do anything with it. 

As he entered the kitchen, Marnie looked up at him. She knew what he had been doing last night with one glance. He averted his eyes, he couldn't deal with that look right now. "Uncle Shane, Uncle Shane! I got to play with a puppy today! Are you excited to take me to the dance? Miss Penny is taking on a nature walk today!" She was so excited, and he was riddled with guilt for not being able to match her energy. Putting a hand up to his temple "That's great kiddo." Marnie started to usher the little girl out of the room. "Come on sweetie, I'll walk you to school today." She said while not giving him another look. _Fuck. The dance._ Another wave of disgust rushed through him as he tossed in a microwave omelet. Wincing at the thought of how he'd look tomorrow in his dress pants and tucked shirt. "Wait...puppy?" _What dog would have been at the ranch? Marnie had not taken in any stray since-- Were they here? That early? She hates waking up early-- oh. No shit Sherlock, she didn't want to see you._ The microwave began to beep and he saw the time, he knew he'd be getting an unwanted earful from Morris when he arrived at work.


	5. Flower Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as Reagan didn't want to, she'd be attending her first flower dance. She skipped the first one but she didn't want to let Jas down. Her and Shane find their way to each other for the first time since their meeting on the dock.

Reagan had awoken to a warm spring day, it was somehow always perfect weather for this lame ass tradition. She took a deep breath and quickly got out of bed. She decided after taking the previous day to herself to be a hermit, that she needed to be a decent human being this morning. She had mostly shuffled around the house that Tuesday, staying in comfy clothes, drinking wine and eventually breaking and asking Sebastian to come down the mountain to share a smoke with her. She got to indulge in her self pity and she now was done. Going outside to be a proper farmer, laying down some fertilizer, checking her sprinkler system and fencing after she of course spent her time with the animals. The excitement of her barn family growing soon also put a good spin on the artificial mood she insisted on herself. 

She had taken a long shower after neglecting herself for a few days; that helped a bit. She let her hair air dry as she put on a little bit of makeup after her skin care. She may have left the city but she never left her nearly 6 step skin routine. Her hair nearly dried; she had so much, it took forever. She began to put in a few small braids that blended in with the rest of her hair flowing down that day, with one side doing a rope braid that went from her temple to the back of her ear. She took in yet another deep breath before entering her closet. Putting on the dress and looking to the mirror; her shoulders slouched in disappointment.  _ Nope, not today bitch, stand up straight. You look killer.  _ She desperately told herself wishing she believed it to be true. She brought Ethan to the grass fields to spend the rest of the afternoon with his buddies. Giving Lucy (her very first cow) a pet on the nose "Wish me luck Luc". Then she went through the farm on her way to the dreaded Flower dance. 

She of course still wore her black combat boots with the dress--  _ What the hell else do I even have to wear?  _ and they clobbered across the wooden bridge leading to the event behind the forest. As she entered the clearing, she couldn't believe the display they had put on. Everywhere you looked was embellished with the flowers of the season. All the women (aside from her) wore stunning flower crowns, and the men had a flower tucked in their dress shirt pockets. Barrels at every corner were overflowing with beautiful pink and purple blooms. She was so taken back; dances were not her thing but she appreciated nature and this was definitely a sight to be seen. She kept her eyes fixed in front of her aside from when they were pulled to the blossoming arrangements she had passed by along the way, avoiding any unwanted conversation. She made her way to her friends; Abigail, pretending not to enjoy all the theatrics of the event, Sam, sneezing every few seconds, and Sebastian, tapping his foot just waiting for an opportunity to sneak away for a smoke. "Oh my god, you're actually here?!" Rea rolled her eyes and unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile as Abigail pulled her into a hug. She wasn't the best with affection, she usually either felt uncomfortable or not worthy, but with friends she tried to put that aside. "Hey -choo- Rea, glad you came, aren't the flowers amaz-choo-ing?" Poor Sam, he unapologetically loved flowers but was wildly allergic to all the pollen floating in the air. "Yeah they really are, didn't realize what I had missed last year." Sebastian slumped over "I wish I could have skipped this." He really only chose to come outside in the cool night air during spring and summer, only thriving in the chill of the latter part of the year. She agreed with him on that. "Yeah I would have again if it wasn't for Jas. She wanted me to bring Ethan and to come myself, I couldn't disappoint the kid on both ends. So, here I am I guess. I know you must be thrilled to be dancing in front of everyone again" She chuckled trying to turn the attention away from herself. "Oh yeah, can't wait." He said it so mono-tone it may as well have been a computer reading text. 

They had continued to pass the time talking with each other until Emily had danced her way to Rea, pulling her away with a spin. She hadn't been as close with Emily as she was with her little group, but from all the time she had spent at the saloon and talking over the gems she'd find on her adventures, Rea still saw her as a friend. Dragging her into yet another hug "I'm so glad you made it, I knew you would this year." Pulling back but still keeping her hands on Rea's shoulders. "Oh, I just came for Jas, she kept asking and I couldn't find a way out of it" She chuckled as she looked over at the little girl in the middle of the field, running in circles with Vincent, they were so innocent and absolutely inseparable. She couldn't help but give a small grin toward the kids. "So you'll be dancing this year, right?" Emily asked with a raised brow. "Ummm no I don't think I will. I don't really dance and everyone is paired up. Not like I'm going to be spinning around with Lewis." She tried to make it a joke to dismiss the question." Emily's eyes had been looking over Rea's shoulder. "Oh no, I think you have a suitable partner." Emily said as she turned Rea’s shoulders to see the eyes that had been on her the whole time. Heart dropping to her stomach "Sh-Shane? No Em, he's your partner, I really don't need to dance." Shane looked at her with soft eyes, just taking her in. He couldn't help but be enamored with her, while still hating himself from how he had treated her the other night. His eyes quickly moved back down to the blue cup in his hand. He looked like he even tried to brush his hair into somewhat of a pushed back style today. "I do better on my own anyway, I can really feel the music that way." Emily was always just a little bit out there; she was petit, had vibrantly blue hair, and only wore clothes she had made herself . She always had some type of crystal around her neck and loved the nights that Rea would show her everything she had found in the mines. The reaction she had when she was given an Aquamarine for her birthday last year was an excitement Rea could never match. She loved the bizarre nature of her friend and welcomed the weirdness. "I'm telling you, just go over there, you'll both be glad you did." Emily smiled as she pushed Rea is Shane's direction. Before she could even react, she looked down to see Jas, then throwing her little arms around Rea's hips-- _ Jeez, third hug of the day.  _ "Miss Rea! You really came! You owe me a dance." "Of course I did squirt, but maybe--" Her small hand grabbed Rea's fingers and tugged at her to the field. The clanking piano music played an upbeat tune. Rea began to sweat; in the center of the field with the adorable little girl everyone must have their eyes on.  _ Oh fuck, I--I don't know what to do.  _ Luckily Jas took the lead and started to move her hands up and down, she quickly had started to feel a little more at ease from the ridiculous movements they were making, who cared if she looked like an idiot? As she felt more comfortable, she took one of Jas's hands and spun her in a circle much to the little girl's enjoyment as she giggled. Rea even found herself smiling, it wasn't even forced. After the song had finished Jas looked up to her "That was fun Miss Rea, I'm gonna go dance with Vincent some more. Bye!" 

Shane couldn't look away, the woman he was infatuated with was dancing with his goddaughter so effortlessly. He knew how she felt about the event but she still agreed and made that little girl so happy. But remembering how he had only recently fucked everything up with her, he didn't know what to do. He was flooded with too many thoughts and emotions, not knowing which to listen to and which to push away. He continued to watch her as she walked back up to her friends off in the corner, not far from the buffet table he had been posted at all afternoon. She had a quick talk with them and then seemed to be walking back towards the clearing. Something came over him and he couldn't stop his feet from moving forward. He finally crossed into her path, having no idea what to say. "Hey." She looked down, hooking one arm around her back to grab the other. "Hey." Insert awkward pause.  _ Fuck, you're here now, you were the idiot, you have to say something to her.  _ "It was really, uhm sweet of you to dance with her, thanks..." She moved her head up to find him still looking away as he spoke. "Of course, no, i-it's fine. I mean I promised her I would so I couldn't let her down. She was the one naïve enough to want to pull an idiot like me out to dance, Vincent is much better at it than I am." She said trying to break the tension, they couldn't talk about the other night here. She figured she would just make it easy on him and make a joke before she excused herself. He spoke up again. "...Well, I...I'm not the smartest. You could dance with me?" She was stunned, her mouth parted open. He almost asked just to hear the rejection, hearing that would put everything he already thought to stone, he could put to rest the idea of ever having a chance. She didn't want anything to do with him; and she would get to turn him down after he was so wrongfully forward the other night. A win-win in some twisted way. "Okay." She breathed so quietly he had to have heard her wrong. His head shot up. "W-what?" She nodded, to him and to almost herself. Yeah, she would. "Okay, I'll dance with you." 

Her friends along Marnie and Emily all had their eyes fixed on them during the exchange. They just stood in front of each other not really knowing what to do next. With that, Lewis had taken to his mayoral duties and went to the microphone "Alright everyone, find your partners, we're going to begin!" The dance used to be very formal, synchronized steps, but over the years people had just started doing their own thing, only some keeping it traditional; much to the pair's luck. They still just stood there, realizing what they had agreed to was only seconds off. She decided since he made it a point to ask her, she could bring them the rest of the way. Rea took his hand and turned around, keeping him in tow behind her with bewilderment in his eyes.  _ This is really happening.  _ Emily leapt towards the center, clapping as she went, looking down at the two of them. She had exuded confidence, prepared to dance on her own. Marnie, staying at the sidelines, clasped her hands together, so enthused to see them walking hand in hand. Sebastian, keeping his head down as he followed Abigail to their respective spots. Sam, looking toward Seb, pursing his mouth at his misery, slowly walked to Penny, only making eye contact as they met for the forced dance. He brightly smiled up at her, he didn't want to make her feel bad. 

This was it. Rea turned around to face Shane. She couldn't read his face; was he happy? He almost looked like he felt bad for her but excited at the same time.  _ Does he really want to be out here with me-- No Rea, stop it. It's just a dance, he asked and you said yes. Just let this happen.  _ The music had started as they stared into each other. Without leaving his eyes, she took his hand and brought them up together. With that he blinked a few times, slowly putting his hand on her waist. Before moving her other hand to his shoulder, she reached back for his at her waist to pull it further around her, causing them to be a bit closer.  _ Rea, you're doing it again, he doesn't want this-- No, shut up. It's the theatrics, He's looking at it like that.  _ He began to step them around in a small circle, eventually making it wider. Their eyes were locked the whole time. They both wanted this, they just couldn't admit it the way they needed to, to assure one another. Without knowing when, they had just started to melt into it all. Them being close like this felt remarkably natural; there was no need to overthink it. His dark green eyes were so deep, she was lost in them. They continued to twirl around in the grass, for those moments there was no doubt, no questioning. Just taking in being this close for the first time. As much as they both loathed dancing, they didn't want the song to end. As the music started to slow, he began to rub his thumb against her back. She returned the affection by moving her hand closer to his neck and squeezing the muscle there, she leaned in closer to his chest. The song has ended but it took them a few seconds to realize. Slowly coming to a stop, still keeping their hands in place. It was all so unreal. "Rea, I-I'm so-" A small figure bumped into them, staying at their side. "See uncle Shane, I told you she'd want to dance with you" She smiled widely up at Reagan. 

They were forcibly separated; Marnie coming to his side as he picked up Jas, Emily coming to grab the sides of her face as the rest of her friends came to join her. "See! I told you you'd be happy!" She didn't realize the goofy grin she had across her face as she laughed, scrunching up her nose. She  was happy, they had put aside their doubts and were just together, it felt so right. Sam and Abigail were almost at a loss for words; almost, it was still Sam and Abigail so they were sure to find some. Sebastian, being the only one who knew she was harboring these feelings, just gave her a smirk of approval that she much appreciated. The rest of the town was in awe for the first few moments as the dance began, but after they had seen Emily flowing about when the music got going, they wrote off their partnership as convenience, paying them no further attention. Reagan had hoped Shane knew it meant more to her than that. Only time could tell. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jas has a beach birthday coming up and wants Rea and Ethan to come.

Summer had arrived, igniting its heat onto the valley. Reagan was not pleased with the increase in temperature; it was unavoidable with her spending so much time outdoors. Even being constantly covered in SPF 50, she still found her way to an unwanted tan. Shane had made his way up to the farm a few times; at first pretending it was questions from Marnie and Jas or checking on Arwen-- her new goat. Eventually he had stopped making excuses and just asked about her day or if she needed any help. It was an absolute highlight every time she saw that blue hoodie walking up through her farm in the distance. How he wore that in the heat, she'll never know. Even being insecure herself, she couldn't take it and was always down to a tank top and shorts by the heat of the day. She was very much enjoying seeing each other more frequently and casually. 

One Wednesday while Shane was arriving home to the ranch from work, Jas had tossed her jump rope to the side and ran to him. "Uncle Shane, are you going to bring your girlfriend to my birthday party? I want Miss Rea to bring Ethan with!" Shane's eyes were wide at her request. By now they have drank together for a year, flirted, got awkward, became jealous, kissed and danced together at the Flower dance. But girlfriend? He still could never believe she'd take him on that way. "Uh-umm Jas, Miss Rea is not my girlfriend but--" Jas placed her hands on her hips "I'm 8 now uncle Shane, I still have eyeballs; you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend, duh." She said it so casually like it was a fact. "I'll be sure to ask her if she'll come to your party with Ethan, Jas." 

Jas had been glued to his hip ever since the flower dance. He had danced with her after finishing the formal with Rea and spent the rest of the evening with her whenever she wasn't with Vincent. He had been in a good mood, he read her a story before bed and got her ready for school before walking across town to leave her with Penny. Jas was elated at the attention she was finally receiving from her guardian. This followed suit whenever he had the time away from work and making his way to the farm. He felt good, for the first time in a long time. Rea had forgiven him and he didn't even have to go through the awkward conversation of why he had left her sitting on the dock that night. He had somewhere to go instead of the saloon, and when he didn't get to the farm he had Jas stealing all of his attention. He didn't realize he hadn't really even been drinking and that made keeping up with her so much easier. 

He had pleaded with his boss, Morris, to have the next day off for Jas's birthday. He eventually gave in but told Shane he had to make up the day with unpaid overtime over the next week. He had to agree; as much as he wanted to hop over the desk and choke him with his own stupid bow tie, it was for Jas and that was worth it. She had decided her bedtime stories were now an established routine, so he knew he needed to be back by the time she went to bed. He decided to stop at the farm to ask Rea in person about the birthday party. It was going to be at the beach, which he was not looking forward to; but he knew her presence would keep him calm and hopefully not thinking too deeply on why he didn't want to be there. 

It was late afternoon as he trekked his way through the farm, admiring all the work she had done.  _ She's amazing, doing this all by herself.  _ The sun was going to be setting within the hour, turning the sky pink and orange like a drink you'd have on the beach of Ginger island. Then he saw her, kneeling on the ground pulling weeds from around her bed of Poppies next to the fish pond. She placed them there to give the fish something to look at, Yoba she was a dork. Probably one of those kids that felt her teddy bears got sad when she left for too long. As she straightened her back up to wipe the sweat from her brow she noticed him; a delighted smile dashed across her face. He was still not quite sure how his presence was met with such a reaction. "Hey bud!" She called out while getting up from the now tidy blossoms. She walked towards him, almost instinctively going to kiss him. As much as she wanted to, she stopped herself  _ No Rea, not going to push him.  _ "What's up?" He smiled at her and looked at his feet, kicking up some dust from the path "Actually, I had to ask you something.." Her heart leapt.  _ Ask me something? Why is he nervous? Could-- could he be..? _ "Yeees..?" Taking another step forward. "Um well are you busy tomorrow?" "No." She answered almost too quickly. "Great, well Jas asked if you and Ethan wanted to come to her birthday party. It's at the beach tomorrow afternoon. Balloons, sand castles, Gus is catering and making a pink cake, you know, all that junk." As much as it was not what she was expecting, she was still happy about the invitation to his goddaughters birthday. "Oh! Yeah of course, we'll be there for sure....but I didn't realize it was her.. birthday. Maybe I shouldn't. I don't have anything for her." "She's 8 and you're bringing the puppy she wants to see, I'm sure she won't even notice a gift doesn't have your name attached to it. I'd um- I'd really like it if you came." She felt the blush spreading across her face as she looked down to her boots. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her, admiring every inch. Noticing the pink in her cheeks  _ maybe it was just from the heat,  _ the red wine mop in a bun, slipping off the side of her head, the sweat dripping down her neck. He took a step forward, with her looking up to see the distance between them continue to get smaller. "We'll definitely make it there." She met his eyes, and he felt his knees almost buckle. This was such an innocent interaction but they had both been acting like love sick puppies on a leash. "Do you want to maybe come inside?"  _ More than anything  _ "I'd like to but I really can't, Jas is expecting me to be putting her to bed. I'm sorry." Her heart melted. "No, don't worry about it, I'll just see you tomorrow. Tell Jas we said hi." As she glanced over to Ethan in the field, Shane had closed the gap. He had placed his hand on her upper arm, gliding it down to squeeze her hand as he kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." He breathed next to her ear. Her eyes closed as she swayed and nearly bumped into him. He smiled looking down, then turned on his heel and took his leave towards the ranch. 

That night she found herself thinking about how much their interactions had changed over the course of the past year. Shane used to frigidly tell her to leave him alone all too often in the beginning. As he began to tolerate her company, they were both much more themselves. Going back and forth, talking of their endeavors that day, giving each other quick whips of sarcasm. Becoming more awkward with each other as feelings continued to develop. Now this; still holding back but being able to openly give small affections, being invited to family events, no longer needing to pretend nothing was there. They had both gone to bed that night in a way neither was well versed in; happy and hopeful. 

Reagan arrived at the beach party just a little bit early, to see if they needed any help. Marnie was of course on top of everything, just putting on the finishing touches. Bunches of pink and purple balloons we're tucked in the sand, a small baby pool was set up with soap to blow giant bubbles, buckets and molds were ready to be used for sand castle construction, and there was a shaded picnic table ready and waiting for Gus to arrive with the food. She found Shane sat on the ground blowing up beach balls. Getting to the point of annoyance, he threw himself back into the sand. There were only 2 kids in town and the other 6 invitees were adults; why the hell did Marnie get 10 beach balls? She cast a shadow on his head, hovering over him from behind. "How ya doin champ?" He kept his eyes closed, still catching his breath. "I'm dying, just bury me here." He handed her a small lime green plastic shovel. "Perfect, what would you like your grave stone to say?" He kept a straight face. "Death by beach balls." His impending doom was interrupted by Ethan licking his face, shocking his eyes open and couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Ethan!" Jas ran over and gave him a hug. "Hi Miss Rea!" Ethan had moved his attention from Shane to the little girl. They began to chase each other back and forth across the beach. 

The guests had arrived and her party began. Shane and Rea had made their way to the shade of the picnic table, neither wanting to be in the sun if they didn't have to. Ethan also followed, stopping for a drink at the bowl of water she had set out for him, taking a break, he laid under the table. Shane had begun to fidget his leg while glancing at his phone then putting it back in his pocket. Throwing his head back "Yoba Its fucking 90." "Degrees?" Pulling his head back up, "No, O'clock. Yeah, degrees, dumbass." She laughed and reached over the table to smack his shoulder. "Shut up!" He had given a small smirk and then put his head down. She could see he was having a rough time. "How're you feeling?" He only shook his head. He was in a bad space mentally that day, she knew how that was and knew not to push. They just sat in each other's company, watching everyone mingle as the kids ran circles around them. 

"Rea! Come on in the water!" Sam yelled to her, already waist deep in the ocean. She only mouthed gibberish and moved her hands from her ears to up into the air. "The water! Come in!" She pulled out her wallet and raised it up. "No no! The water!" Yoba, he was such a puppy. She had run out of rhymes and gestures so she just ran her hand across her throat, giving him the sign for a no go. "Uncle Shane, come swimming with me!" Jas began tugging at his shirt. Rea saw the anxiety building, his eyes clenched shut trying to compose something to say to her as nice as possible. "Hey kiddo, maybe later on." She continued to tug "But I want to go in the water now, pleeeease?" "You can go in the water now Jas, it seems like Vincent is looking for you, go on, don't keep him waiting." Without another glance the girl was off. Shane sighed in relief.  _ It's not me is it? He was wearing swim trunks already. I don't want to hold him back.  _ "If you want to go with her, I'll be fine up here with E, don't let me stop you." Quickly he returned "No, you're fine, i-it's not that. I just don't want to ta-- I just don't feel like going." She looked to him waiting to see if he was actually going to say why. Not wanting to ask and pry, she just kept silent. "Really it's not you, it's me." That seemed like an opening to her. "Why is it you? You were just complaining about the heat?" He breathed out his nose "I'm not going to subject the beach to me shirtless. You, on the other hand should be going, I can stay here with E." Putting her hands up to motion to her torso, "Pff and sport this pudge in front of a party, nah, I'm good." She wanted to tell him to not worry about it, he looked good to her, don't worry about what others think. But that's hard to hear when you feel that way, and she understood better than anyone. So she decided to jokingly say how she felt about herself instead. He cocked his head in confusion. "You're dead ass serious? Rea, you look amazing." He blushed, that sort of just fell out of his mouth. "You belong out there with them." He looked towards the water, seeing Sam have Vincent on his shoulders before tossing him into the water with a splash; "My turn, my turn!" Jas said with her arms reaching up towards him. His attention was brought back to her as she reached over the table to take his hand in hers. "I belong here with you, right where I want to be." He half way smiled, returning the grasp to her hand. 

The party continued as everyone moved on from the water to cake and presents. Again, Rea and Shane stood at the sidelines and silently watched. Jas elated being the center of attention as she opened her gifts. Then it was time for cake; Shane stood behind Jas as everyone sang to her. Jodi and Marnie started taking pictures, Shane began to stiffen. Rea moved closer to him and interlaced her fingers with his, Vincent was blocking the view of their hands anyway; Shane instantly relaxed. Marnie started to hand out slices of the cake, handing one to Rea. She didn't plan on having any but Marnie gave her no room to protest. Shane, not caring, rejected the plate as it was pushed towards him. She knew why and she hated it. She understood the feeling but she enjoyed him just as he was, if he could only see what she saw. She took a bite, and was glad she didn't push it aside. Shane was the only one without any cake, she hip bummed him as she swallowed. "You have to try this." then put a forkful to his mouth and he couldn't say no to her. She saw his mood lift, and loved seeing the effect she had on him. 

The rest of the party went on without a hitch. Everything had been cleaned up and the kids taken home, exhausted after a day of swimming in the sun. Rea and Shane had lingered together on the dock after everyone else had left. The sunset was so much different at the beach, they just stood closely together in silence for a while. Rea bumping into his shoulder "Glad you invited me." He playfully scoffed "Well  I didn't invite you re--" "Oh shut up and take the hint asshole." They both smiled as his hand migrated over to take hers. She blushed "It's so pretty here, you cant see the sunset like this at th--" She hadn't realized Shane had faced her " Would you go to dinner with me?" She stood in shock, butterflies racing through her stomach, lifting her heart to her throat. "Hell yes" He held her hand tighter and looked back to the sea. "Great." Her smile spread across her whole face. "Tomorrow?" She asked. Shaking his head "Oh shit, I'm not good at this. Yeah, tomorrow." 


	7. Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rea and Shane plan for their first date after he gets out of work. Things don't go as they hoped but Rea will figure something out.

_ 6:12 Fuck, still nearly a fucking hour of this garbage.  _ Shane was dealing with the start of his unrewarded overtime and couldn't be hating it more. The thought of spending time with Rea that evening was the only thing getting him through it. Besides the fact that he was incredibly nervous to have actually asked her on a date, he was worried his current mood would carry over and ruin their time. He was already so tired; work started early enough but he had gotten up even earlier due to Jas pounding on his door, wanting him to make her breakfast before school. Anxiety had been building, would they even have enough time to go to the city after his elongated shift? He attempted to shake off those feelings and just get through the mindless tasks at hand. He didn't want to disappoint her. 

It was now 7:20, Morris had insisted he finish stocking the last of the shipment before allowing him to leave after the agreed upon time. He rushed through his work, but took a moment to pull out his phone to send Rea a text.  _ I'm sorry, fucking Morris found extra shit for me to do. I know it's late. If you don't want to do this anymore, it's fine. Wouldn't blame you.  _ He finally clocked out at 7:45, he had not received anything back from Rea and he could take a hint. He walked out of work with his head hung low in defeat. He heard the sound of clicks against the cobbled stone in front of him, causing him to look up. Rea was sitting up on her horse with a smile on her face "Hey, bud." Extending out her hand to him to come up. "Sorry I didn't text you back, had to grab a few things and got distracted. Come on, we've got stuff to do." He couldn't believe it. He thought he lost his chance, but there she was, ready to whisk him away with new plans for them. No one had ever done anything like that for him before. 

They had made their way back to the farm and went inside. He had carried her hefty backpack inside for her and plopped it on the table. "Fuck me, what do you have in here, rocks?" She shrugged "Umm probably some?" She began digging through it, pulling out flour and a few other ingredients. "What's that for?" She put a finger to her chin "Possibly for cooking, I'm not quite sure." He rolled his eyes at her, waiting for the real answer. She smiled to him "I figured it'd be fun to try and make a homemade pizza. Would you go in the cabinet and pick out a wine? I'm about ready for a drink." He went in and looked at the bottles she had stored, some bought but most just had masking tape labels; obviously ones she had made herself.  _ How ambitious could one person be? She's wild.  _ Picking a bottle at random, he didn't know a thing about wine, but he'd drink anything. As he popped the cork to pour them a glass, she danced around the kitchen getting out all the materials they'd need. 

"Okay, soo sauce. Gotta squish some tomatoes. You should probably take off your hoodie, wouldn't' want you to ruin such a luxury garment." She grabbed the tomatoes she had grown herself and tossed them in a huge bowl. "So what, just with our hands?" "Well duh, that's how Queen of Sauce does it." He furrowed his brow and looked down to her "You don't know what you're doing do you?" She grabbed his hand and smashed a tomato with it "Not a clue." They both smiled and continued on. They squished and kneaded and laughed their way to a pizza that looked like Jas could have made it. Popping it in the oven they cleaned themselves up, covered in sauce and flour from not only being inexperienced but from tossing and poking each other with their mess of hands. They took their wine and made their way to the couch. 

"I figured we didn't have too much time to waste, so I picked out a shitty horror movie for us to watch. Any other suggestions?" He shrugged "Sounds good to me." She took a sip of wine before setting on the coffee table "Perfect, it's one of my favorites." He had been clutching his glass, but followed suit to leaving it on the table. -- _ Ring ring *scream*--  _ She was already sitting close to him but after the movie had started, began to settle into the couch making contact with his shoulder. Without moving his head, he looked down to her. Taking a quiet deep breath, he slid his arm up and over her to rest the back of the couch. -- _ What's your favorite scary movie?--  _ Shane wouldn't be able pay attention to the T.V. Cooking together had been so effortless, they were having fun and had a task before them. It was the same with the Flower dance. He had spent time with her at the saloon plenty with nothing to do but sit and drink, but that was before they had alluded to having any feelings towards each other. Now with that on the table, he was hyper aware of every movement, every word. Without something to be physically doing, all he could think of was how close she was to him,  _ Is she waiting for me to make a move? Ughh what is she thinking? Does she really want this? If I lean in she’s sure to be revolted.  _ His mind was racing in incoherent thoughts. But most of those were put to rest as she pulled his hand from the back of the couch to her shoulder as she leaned back into him. He blushed but somehow felt more at ease. Rea was not a confident person most of the time unless she consciously put forth the effort to be; but with Shane, she found that confidence just a little easier. Almost as if she would put herself out there so he wouldn't have to, so he didn't feel the pressure as she took it upon herself instead. 

She leaned up to grab her wine for a sip, still intently watching the movie.  _ Is he having a good time? I hope he doesnt think staying in tonight was lame.  _ She felt his fingers graze down her spine, giving her the chills and causing her to look back to Shane. They gave each other a soft smile. She set down her wine and went back to her spot, but angling herself to put her legs over his lap. She rested her head on her hand, elbow on the back of the couch. "I'm really glad you asked me to do this." Her attention now all on him. He smiled as he traced a line up and down her shin "I'm glad you said yes. I figured you'd back out." Her face dropped and she brought her hand to touch his arm. "Why would I do that?" She regretted asking instead of  telling him she would never do that, knowing she wouldn't like the response coming next. "Why wouldn't you?" gesturing to himself "You could have anyone you wanted, I'm a drunk at a dead end job, I--" She leaned in towards him, placing a hand on his chest to stop the criticism of himself. "Shane, please. I'm here with you because I want to be. Let's not do that tonight." He looked to her and his heart skipped a beat, she was so much closer now. "Just be here with me." Her eyes were soft as looked into him. He could lose himself in her deep brown eyes forever. His hand moved up to her knee as hers moved to his shoulder, the space between them began to dwindle. --*Beeeeep beeeeep*-- The timer made her jump, and Shane had never been more disappointed that a pizza was ready to eat. 

They grabbed a few slices each and sat back on the couch, eating at the coffee table to continue the movie. They kept things more casual the rest of the night. Talking about everything and nothing. He mentioned Jas wanted to come up to the farm soon to see the flowers she'd planted and that she was now begging for her own puppy. She told him about Arwen settling in well to the barn, and touched on some animes she'd been watching and that he had to watch one with her. Shane, of course telling her she was a nerd but agreed to try one out. The movie had ended and they hadn't noticed, still just engrossed in each other's words. Eventually Shane checked his phone and saw how late it had gotten. "Shit. I'm sorry, I really have to get back. With this overtime bullshit I have to go into work tomorrow." "Oh, that blows, I'm sorry." They got up from the couch and headed towards the door. Her hand was on the door knob "Well, I'll see you soon, right?" "Yeah, uhm definitely, just have a lot of work coming up." She looked down to her feet "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, really sucks." With him having to rush out, he didn't think it was the moment for a classic -kiss at the door- end of the date whole thing. He already felt like he had disappointed her. He didn't want to just leave like this. He took his hand to her chin to lift her face back up, kissing her on the cheek. "We'll figure something out."


End file.
